The curtains are almost down on 2022 but the show seems to will itself on. The year was much-awaited as Bollywood was rooting for its big releases after two years of the country being in lockdown mode with the pandemic. But Hindi cinema had the most challenging time impressing audiences.
Many major releases including Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra, Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, Gowtam Tinnanuri’s Jersey, and others pushed their launch dates to escape the lockdown impact. But they ended as a lost cause. While Bollywood failed to break records, South Indian films ruled the box office.
Several regional films saw the audience lapping it up, including diehard Hindi viewers. The year saw new grounds as SS Rajamouli’s pan-India film RRR roared at the box office. Following this came Prasanth Neel’s KGF Chapter 2, Kamal Haasan’s Vikram, and other blockbuster films when Bollywood failed to read the audiences’ pulse despite starring A-listers like Ranveer Singh in Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Shahid Kapoor in Jersey, Vijay Devarakonda in Liger, Aamir Khan in Laal Singh Chaddha, Ranbir Kapoor in Shamshera, and Hrithik Roshan along with Saif Ali Khan in Vikram Vedha and how could one not mention the recent bomb, Rohit Shetty’s film Cirkus starring Ranveer Singh.
As we evaluate the passing year, let’s take a look at regional films that did better than Hindi films.
RRR
The SS Rajamouli film starring Ram Charan, NT Rama Rao Jr, Shriya Saran, and Samuthirakani in the lead roles hit the theatres on March 24. It also featured Bollywood’s Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn who played a key role in the promotions making it a blockbuster hit. Alia Bhatt was seen promoting RRR along with SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan, and NTR Jr in all major cities including Hyderabad, Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai.
Credit goes to the marketing team who made use of its Hindi cast Bhatt and Devgn and made sure the film reaches a wider audience.
For those unversed, RRR is the most expensive Indian film to date made on a budget of a whopping Rs 550 crore. Reports say RRR made Rs 240 crore worldwide on its first day in theatres breaking the record for the highest opening day collection by an Indian film. The film not only became the highest-grossing film in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana but also became the third Indian film and the first Telugu film to be nominated at the Golden Globes in the Best Non-English Language Film category and for the Best Original Song.
Speaking to Screendaily, SS Rajamouli said “I’m trying to find out why Westerners like the film so much. From what I’ve read on social media, it’s a mix of unapologetic superheroism and the unexpected movement from action to romance, comedy, dance and action. But this is how we tell stories in India. There’s something for everyone.”
The film’s success was not only because of its star cast or the director. From the well-written script to catchy music, Rajamouli didn’t go wrong with any element accountable for making a film a hit. And Naatu Naatu song being shortlisted in the Best Original Song Category at the 95th Academy Awards is its testimony.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmGIXuQrL1_/
KGF: Chapter 2
After RRR, this Kannada film directed and written by Prashanth Neel took over the theatres. Featuring Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, Srinidhi Shetty, and Prakash Raj in prominent roles, KGF: Chapter 2 went on floors on April 14 in five languages including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam.
The period action thriller shattered records and became the second highest-grossing film in India, the highest-grossing Indian film in 2022, and the third highest-grossing Indian film worldwide. Reports say KGF: Chapter 2 was produced on a budget of Rs 100 crore which is the most expensive Kannada film in history. The film collected Rs 1,200-1,250 crore globally.
On the failure of Bollywood, KGF 2 star Yash, while speaking to Film Companion, said he doesn’t want Kannada people to put any other industry down as even the Kannada industry faces the same problem.
“I don’t want the people of Karnataka to put any other industry down, because we have faced the same problem when everyone treated us the same way. We have worked hard to get that respect. After that, we cannot start disrespecting anyone. We should respect everybody. Respect Bollywood. Forget this north and south,” Yash said.
Vikram
The Kamal Haasan-Vijay Sethupathi film was released theatrically on June 3 after a long delay due to Covid restrictions. Directed and written by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film was shot on a budget of Rs 120-150 crore and earned Rs 420-Rs 500 crore after its release and became the second highest-grossing Tamil film and fifth highest-grossing Indian film of 2022, and the fourth highest-grossing Tamil film of all time.
Vikram was released in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi and received rave reviews for its cinematography, writing, cast, and action sequences. The film’s trailer was released in May and crossed over 1.2 crore views within 24 hours of its release, reports said.
Sita Ramam
Sita Ramam is a poetic and poignant love story that will give you a sense of the 60s-70s romance caught on film in Indian cinema. Starring Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur, the film became a critical and commercial success and earned more than Rs 91.4 crore at the box office.
Directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, the film faced a ban in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. However, the simple-hopeless romantic film, but not cliche, earned praise.
This Telugu-period romance was also compared with the classic Hindi romantic film Veer-Zara starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Rani Mukherjee.
Kantara
Kantara was the cherry on the cake for Kannada cinema that couldn’t suppress a triumphant smile with the success of KGF: Chapter 2. Rishab Shetty’s direction and writing became the talk of the town when Kantara hit theatres on September 30, unveiling the Bhoota Kola tradition.
The film emerged as a huge commercial success and became the second-highest-grossing Kannada film of all time and the second-highest-grossing Kannada film of 2022. After the success of its Kannada version, the makers announced its dubbed Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam versions as well. The domestic net collections of all the versions crossed Rs 200 crore in 30 days, reports said.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl6sSG2hp55/
Kantara also found itself in a plagiarism controversy as Thaikkudam Bridge, a popular music band from Kerala, accused the makers of lifting their tune. Given the social media age, Thaikkudam Bridge slammed Kantara on Instagram levelling serious plagiarism charges for a blatant infringement of copyright laws as the song Varaha Roopam in Kantara had been allegedly copied from their song, Navarasam.
Nonetheless, Rishab Shetty’s directorial impacted a wider audience and the Karnataka State Government announced a monthly allowance for Bhoota Kola performers over 60 years of age.
Ponniyin Selvan: I
Mani Ratnam’s epic historical action drama, Ponniyin Selvan: I starred Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Trisha, Karthi, Jayaram, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, Vikram Prabhu, R Sarathkumar, Prakash Raj, R Parthiban, Rahman, and Lal in lead roles.
The multi-starrer film was made on a budget of Rs 500 crore. Although it received mixed reactions from both critics and the audience, it became the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2022, the fourth-highest-grossing Tamil film of all time, and the 15th-highest-grossing Indian film of all time.
Mani Ratnam also confirmed Ponniyin Selvan: II which will be released theatrically after 6-9 months of PS1.
As is very visible, not even one Bollywood film did the numbers like regional films in 2022. The year, however, proved to be a success for Alia Bhatt as her film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gangubai Kathiawadi which released in March was the lone Bollywood hit, she continued with her other successes in RRR, Brahmastra, and Darlings on Netflix.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZi5gShglZ-/
Other films that made some noise at the box office were Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files, Bhool Bhulaiya 2, and the most recent Drishyam 2.
Now, the concern is whether Bollywood will make a comeback next year or go further down. 2023 has a lot on its plate for Bollywood with big releases like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s Pathaan, Prabhas’s Adipurush, Siddharth Malhotra’s Mission Majnu, Salman Khan’s Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, Luv Ranjan’s Tu Jhooti Main Makkar, Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki, Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa, Kartik Aaryan’s Shehzada, Salman Khan’s Tiger 3, Varun Dhawan’s Bawaal, and others.
Alia Bhatt has officially joined the cast of the much-awaited sequel of horror-fantasy film Tumbbad 2. The announcement was made by actor and producer Sohum Shah, who welcomed Alia to the franchise by sharing pictures on social media with the caption, “A new chapter unfolds. Welcome to #Tumbbad2, @aliaabhatt.”
The sequel will see Alia Bhatt, Sohum Shah, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui sharing screen space. Directed by Adesh Prasad, the film is being produced by Sohum Shah Films in association with Pen Studios. The makers have also announced that Tumbbad 2 is scheduled to release in theatres on December 3, 2027.
Alia Bhatt said Tumbbad has stayed with her ever since she first watched it. She described the film as one of the few movies that created a unique and immersive world, adding that joining the franchise is a special opportunity for her. The actor said she is looking forward to exploring a new character in the mysterious Tumbbad universe.
Released in 2018, Tumbbad became a cult classic for its blend of Indian folklore, mythology, fantasy, and horror. Starring Sohum Shah in the lead role, the film earned widespread critical acclaim and gained even more popularity after its re-release, becoming one of the most successful re-released Indian films.
The confirmation of Alia Bhatt’s casting ended weeks of speculation and has increased excitement among fans. With the addition of Alia Bhatt and Nawazuddin Siddiqui to the cast, the sequel promises a stronger star lineup while continuing the dark and mysterious world of the first film.
As of now, filming and production are on, and the makers are preparing for the film’s theatrical release in December 2027. Fans are eagerly waiting to see how the sequel expands the mythology of the Tumbbad universe and whether it can match the original film’s impact.
Actor Hina Khan and her husband Rocky Jaiswal have reacted strongly after television actor Shilpa Shinde made controversial remarks on Hina’s battle with Stage 3 breast cancer during a recent interview. The comments triggered criticism online, with Hina and Rocky describing them insensitive and inappropriate.
The controversy began after Shinde questioned Hina’s public discussion of her illness and commented on her appearance during treatment. In the interview, Shilpa suggested that Hina did not look like someone undergoing cancer treatment, leading to widespread reactions on social media.
Responding on Instagram, Khan did not mention Shinde by name but stressed that every cancer patient’s journey is different. She said people should avoid making assumptions about a person’s medical condition based on physical appearance, adding that awareness and compassion are far more important than judgment. Khan reminded her followers that cancer affects individuals in different ways and that no two recovery journeys are the same.
Rocky Jaiswal also came out in his wife’s support, calling the remarks “inhuman” and expressed disappointment over the lack of sensitivity shown towards someone fighting a serious illness. He said personal health struggles should never become the subject of ridicule or speculation and urged people to respond with empathy instead of criticism.
Hina Khan revealed in June 2024 that she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Since then, she has regularly shared updates about her chemotherapy, surgeries and recovery through social media. The actor has repeatedly said that speaking openly about her treatment is her way of spreading awareness and giving hope to others facing similar challenges.
The exchange has sparked widespread discussion across social media, with many fans and members of the television industry extending support to Hina Khan and praising her courage.
Actor Anupam Kher has said he has reconciled with fellow actor Naseeruddin Shah after an old video of Shah criticising him resurfaced on social media. Kher’s response came after the clip began circulating again following his recent remarks on the Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation theft case.
Addressing the renewed attention to the clip, Kher said there was no point in revisiting a matter that had already been settled. He said he and Shah had met after their earlier disagreement and resolved their differences, urging people not to judge their current relationship based on past remarks.
The video in question dates to 2019, when Naseeruddin Shah referred to Kher as a “clown” and commented on what he described as his “sycophantic nature,” noting that such traits were widely recognised by Kher’s peers from the National School of Drama (NSD) and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Shah’s comments were made in response to Kher’s political views and led to a widely discussed exchange between the two actors.
At the time, Kher defended his stance, emphasising that everyone in a democracy has the freedom to express their opinions. In his recent remarks, he also responded to criticism over his views on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, questioning why people felt unsettled by his presence and asserting that he would continue to speak his mind regardless of reactions online.
Although the old interview has once again drawn attention, Kher’s latest comments indicate that past differences between the two actors have been resolved. Despite the renewed debate on social media, he has made it clear that there is no lingering personal conflict between them.
APN News is today the most watched and the most credible and respected news channel in India. APN has been at the forefront of every single news revolution. The channel is being recognized for its in-depth, analytical reportage and hard hitting discussions on burning issues; without any bias or vested interests.
